Okay, so me and hubby have come to the conclusion I'm going to get two machines for my sewing business. A vintage workhorse for strait stitching, and a newer machine for pretty decorative stitches. I've really been eying the Vikings, but I'm not sure which would work best for me. I'd like a bunch of pretty stitch options and things like speed control, limited embroidery (letters mainly), and overcast stitching would be great too, but not musts. I want to stay around $600-$800 preferably if we can. I'll be using it for a business so the stronger built the better of course. Can anyone help me? There aren't any sewing places around me, only a stinky Joanne Fabrics that only has the Emerald 116 and 118. I was liking the Emerald 183, but they said it's discontinued and no longer made/available.

I can't help you much... but one thing I want to stick out there for you is for you to make sure you're getting lettering capabilities that satisfy you if that is a feature that you have a certain task in mind for.

For me, personally, I think the lettering that some sewing machines do is just junk... including the lettering on my Janome 7700 - because the decenders on the y,q,p,j (the part of the letter that goes down below the baseline of the letters) don't always sew lower below the baseline like they should. So if they sew out high, they look terrible.

If you're only doing capitals... I think all the machines do OK there for the most part.

Just a thought for you while you shop.

------Video of how the Bionic Gear Bag works is here: www.BionicGearBag.com
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I have a Viking Sapphire 835 that I love! I have had it for about a year and it is the perfect machine for my needs. I paid about 1k for my machine. That said, Viking has discontinued this model. If you find a dealer with them in stock, you might be ale to get a good deal on one...perhaps around 800. It does offer lettering, but I agree with the previous person that capital letters look best. There are plenty of decorative stitches on my machine that look very nice.

That said, I would look at the Opal line. There are two machines. I think they are between 699 to 899/999. I can't comment on them much as I haven't really played with one much. I would encourage you to find a dealer that has demo machines. Make sure you take the fabrics you work with, with you and try them out. If there are dealers for other brands, look there too. I actually researched my machine for a couple of mos before I bought it. I test drove other machines but kept gong back to the Sapphire. I was afraid to spend that much money on a machine. In the end, it was a good choice. Good luck and happy shopping! -- Edited on 5/7/13 9:05 AM --

------I'm fairly new to sewing but I am finding it to be fun and rewarding!

The Opal is great & the letters are very nicely done on it. The 650 has a good selection of decorative stitches. The 650 will run you about $699. I didn't find the 670 as being worth the extra $200, but many others do.

You mentioned there aren't dealers close by. You might have to drive a bit to find a dealer. Perhaps of you tell us what big cities you are near, someone can help you find some dealers? Or you can do your own search from the company web site? Good luck!

------I'm fairly new to sewing but I am finding it to be fun and rewarding!

Thanks for the tips ladies, it's sounding like the 650 would be awesome to try out. Does anyone know if it has the same stitch power as the 670? I saw a review for the 670 saying it was great at sewing heavy duty thickness and such so that would be really important since I'll be seing a lot of thicker items often. (cloth diapers)

Any clue too if wither has an overclock stitch? Not a must, but curious

My Singer 401A was used to sew all my children's diapers without issue from double napped flannel. It sews on denim without issue also. It even has lettering capabilities. That said, I would definitely try various models of Vikings using the fabric you normally use to test drive the various machines. You have to be comfortable with the machine, especially for a business. I wish you much success in your search.

Thanks so much ladies. Anyone know where the best place to buy an Opal at? My Joann Fabrics is the only places within 3 hours and they don't keep them in stock. I feel like I could get a better price maybe too.

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